Written by Gail Ficken

There are plenty of ditches we can fall into along the way.

• Throwing Bible verses at hurting people without first listening.
• Serving people and doing good things while assuming we’ve shared the Gospel.
• Building friendships with people far from God but never giving any indication of “the hope that is in us” (1 Peter 3:15).

The biggest ditch of all? The gap.

More than 90% of Christians simply don’t know how to share their faith naturally, so they choose not to make it part of their everyday walk with Jesus. Not because they don’t care—but because no one ever trained them.

That’s why Multipli exists. We empower everyday Christians to share the Good News naturally, wherever God has placed them.

Deepening Relationships

There are many ways to deepen relationships:

• Spending time together
• Listening well and being curious
• Sharing experiences
• Laughing and crying together
• Sharing meals
• Telling stories
• Simply being present for one another

We’ll explore some of these more in future blogs.

But there’s one relationship-building tool that is often overlooked.

When we share our own hurts and struggles—past or present—and tell how God has comforted, healed, strengthened, or saved us, we create natural opportunities to point people to Jesus.

Yet many of us default to a different response.

“How are you doing?”

“Fine.”

“I’m good.”

“Everything’s great.”

Often that means one of three things:

• I’m not being completely honest.
• Things aren’t actually fine.
• I haven’t taken time to recognize the difficult places in my life and how God has been present in them.

The Good News Is Personal

Jesus has saved us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Through His death and resurrection, God’s justice and grace meet. By faith, we receive the gift of salvation and eternal life.

But if that’s not the question someone is asking in the moment, and it’s the only answer we’re prepared to give, our conversations can feel disconnected from real life.

For many Christians, that doesn’t feel natural.

So we say nothing.

But as we become more attentive to the Spirit’s leading, we begin to recognize opportunities in everyday relationships. In those moments, sharing our own struggles and God’s faithfulness becomes a powerful way to point people to Jesus.

Jesus Modeled This

Take a look at John 11. Lazarus is sick and dies. Martha says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Mary says the same thing.

Jesus responds with hope: “Your brother will rise again.”

Then He reveals even more: “I am the resurrection and the life.”

When Jesus arrives at the tomb, Mary is crying. The people around her are crying. And Jesus weeps.

This is a real moment involving real people in real relationships. Jesus doesn’t remain distant from their pain. He enters into it.

Then He speaks life: “Take away the stone.”

“Lazarus, come out.”

And Lazarus walks out of the tomb alive.

John tells us that many who witnessed this event put their faith in Jesus.

Jesus both entered into people’s pain and pointed them to hope.

WE CAN DO THE SAME.

Learning a More Natural Way

One Genesis Leader recently observed:

“Many of the examples we see of evangelism don’t feel natural.”

People often think of:

• Street-corner evangelists
• Unwelcome door-to-door encounters

As a result, many Christians quietly remove “you shall be my witnesses” from their personal definition of discipleship.

But what if evangelism looked more like honest conversations within genuine relationships?

Consider your own life.

Would people benefit from hearing:

• About a season when life was difficult?
• How God met you in that struggle?
• How your faith gave you hope, comfort, strength, or direction?
• How Jesus continues to work in your life today?

Most likely, yes.

Then ask a trusted Christian friend:

“I’ve been working on sharing part of my story. Could I tell it to you and get your feedback?”

You don’t have to tell everything.

Just start.

You’ll likely discover that sharing your story feels more natural than you expected.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

This summer and fall, Multipli will be hosting onsite Awaken Weekends across the United States. These experiences are designed to help everyday Christians take practical steps toward becoming confident witnesses for Jesus.

If you’d like to learn more, Nate would be happy to connect with you.

You can also participate in an online Awaken experience, which begins every month.

And if you’re ready to go deeper, Genesis Leader Online is starting soon. Many participants describe it as a transformative experience that reshapes how they live as disciples and make disciples.

Erin can answer questions about both Awaken Online and Genesis Leader Online.

Summer is a great season to start practicing new rhythms, growing in confidence, and discovering your natural voice for sharing the Good News.

Multipli empowers everyday Christians to share the Good News naturally, wherever God has placed them.